Melanie Parry

Melanie Parry was born in Sydney, Australia on 23 November and is a classically trained coloratura soprano show singer and actress.
She started in show business at the age of eleven by appearing on the Nine Networks afternoon show called "Skeeters Cartoon Corner" as part of The Daffodil Junior Australians who were a well known touring children's song and dance troupe, whilst also studying drama at the renowned Edith De Paul Acting Studios in Sydney.
Between 1980 - 1983 she toured the professional circuit in Australia and then overseas as a children's entertainer. During this time she studied the art of ventriloquism, then went on to perform professionally as a children's ventriloquist with her puppet character "Willy the Crocodile" touring statewide and appearing on Channel Nine and national TV shows, such as Johnny Youngs, 'Young Talent Time' and as one of the shows many professional guest artistes.
Descending from a prominent showbusiness family, she was inspired to make her mark in the world of entertainment when at only six years of age she met her cousin Robie Porter (known as "Rob E.G"). Porter was a young steel guitar prodigy and performer with Festival Records. Porter was to become a record producer and manager and in the 1970s he became instrumental for producing a number of LP's for Rick Springfield, Daddy Cool, & Marcia Hines, under his Wizard Record label. Porter was also responsible for the band Air Supply getting their first break in America with Arista Records releasing their hit song 'Lost in Love'.
Her first professional engagements on the Australian cabaret scene were then secured for her by her first manager Jan Murphy, the mother of Chris Murphy, who was later to become the manager and the man instrumental in the success of the world famous rock group Inxs.
After a time performing on the Australian circuit, Parry then decided to leave Australia in 1983 for career opportunities in England and Europe. Much of her career was then spent performing in the theatres and cabaret rooms of England, Scotland, France, Spain and Malta up till 1994. There she also studied singing in Wales with the celebrated Welsh operatic Tenor, Allun Davies. In late 1994 she then decided to return to Australia to re-establish her career back home.
Just before the tragic death of her then English comedian husband, in 1999, Parry created and produced her now acclaimed theatre show, 'Judy', The Judy Garland Story In Song which also includes film clips and narratives telling the story of Judy Garlands life and career including that of her daughter Liza Minnelli. Parry released her CD tribute, "Melanie Parry sings Judy Garland" in the same year.
Parry then went on to perform her Judy Garland show 'twice' at the prestigious Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, United States in the years 2001 & 2002.
In 2003, Parry produced and scripted another musical show tribute 'The Magic of Dame Vera Lynn' dedicated to the legendary singer who was famous for her stirring songs during World War II. This musical tribute tells the story of this Dame of the British Empire and was written especially for Commemorative Remembrance days and Anzac day celebrations marking the end of World War II in Europe and the Pacific.
Parry released her CD tribute, "Melanie Parry sings the Magic of Dame Vera Lynn in the same year, dedicating the CD release to her much-loved mother, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2002.
This show was the only one of its kind in Australia to be endorsed by Dame Vera Lynn.

In 2007, Parry scripted and produced her new show entitled to "Hal & Bach", a musical tribute to one of the finest song writing teams in pop music history, Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Releasing her Cd "Melanie Parry sings to Hal & Bach" in the same year.
Parry remarried in 2008, and continues to perform all her musical shows in theatres and major concert rooms nationally and internationally with her orchestras to the present day.
In 2010 Parry launched her newest musical tribute show to three of the world's most famous entertainers - Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin - entitled Judy, Frank & Dean, in the Once in a Lifetime Tour, starring with leading men, Frank Bennett, 4 time aria nominated artiste, as Frank Sinatra and Grant Galea, known for his acclaimed Dean Martin portrayal.
This show recreates Judy's famous TV show when these three great artistes all appeared together in the studio for one of TV's greatest musical moments.
Discography
1992 Corner of the Sky, released in Wales United Kingdom
1999 Melanie Parry sings Judy Garland
2003 Melanie Parry sings The Magic of Dame Vera Lynn
2007 Melanie Parry sings To Hal & Bach, A tribute to the Music of Burt Bacharach & Hal David
2009 Melanie Parry sings The Sensational Songs of the Sixties
Australian and New Zealand Theatre Appearances
Bendigo Regional Arts Centre,
Parramatta Riverside Theatre,
The Laycock St Theatre, Gosford,
The Cairns Civic Theatre, Cairns,
The World Theatre - Charters Towers,
Gladstone Entertainment Centre,
Caloundra Cultural Centre,
The Brogla Theatre, Maryborough,
Mackay Entertainment Centre,
Townsville Civic Centre,
Boonah Cultural Centre,
The Manning Entertainment Centre, Taree,
Proserpine Cultural Centre,
The Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton,
Griffith Regional Theatre,
Marion Cultural Centre, Adelaide,
Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide
Royal Wanganui Opera House,
Rotarura Civic Theatre,
Waipukurau Civic Theatre
Australian Film & TV
Young Talent Time - Guest Artist

Undercover - (Australian Movie)
Waterloo Station - Reg Grundy (Nine Network)
Film and television in Wales
Melanie Parry has appeared in several TV and film productions in Wales, including the Welsh-language productions Pobol y Cwm (BBC for S4C), Dinas (HTV Wales) and the film Halen yn y Gwaed. She also starred in Tell Tale, for HTV.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu